Wicked: Glinda's Grief
by SeaChelles09
Summary: A small story on the Witch of the North reflecting on her past and wondering how she can continue her future...


_**Wicked: **_

_Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West_

I just finished reading _Wicked_ and watching the Broadway musical, and just thought I'd make a nice little short thingy on it :D It basically follows after the end of the musical where Glinda takes over Oz and kinda combines the book and musical together :P So…Enjoy!

KaZumi09 [December 15, 2007

--

She had lost everything.

_Everthing_.

Well, she did have _something_…but she'd trade that something for anything from her past.

_Anything._

Glinda the Good Witch sighed as she stared out one of the many large windows of the Emerald City Palace. Sure, having Madam Morrible locked up and the Wizard follow the farm girl and her annoying dog back to "Kansas" or wherever made her smile, but she was alone and depressed. Elphaba was with Fiyero, dead and gone. Doctor Dillamond was wherever Animals go after their deaths, Bick or whatever was a tinman, and Nessarose was crushed under a house. What was left? A few wandering Munchkins to govern? Hm…tempting as it sounded, Glinda had wished she'd died too.

"M-Ms. Good?" came the voice of Glinda's nervous secretary. "There's a letter for you from Kiamo Ko."

Glinda looked up in surprise. She jumped to her feet and instantly regretted her sense of style. With her large powder-blue ball gown and glass slippers, it took her twenty seconds to dash carefully to the other side of the room. She ripped the letter from the little Munchkin's hands before staring at the seal.

"It can't be…" Glinda muttered as she stared at the all too familiar handwriting of Elphaba Thropp. "This was dated almost a year ago. Why did it _just_ get here?"

The secretary cowered in fear. Glinda rolled her eyes and walked back to the former Wizard's desk, plopping into his chair. How she managed to squeeze her dress into the small leather seat she'll never know.

"That's the Wicked Witch of the West, right?" the secretary spoke up, just as surprised as Glinda. The Good Witch nodded.

"Yes. But Kiamo Ko? My precious Fiyero ruled the Arjiki's from there…" Glinda trailed off as she carefully ripped open the envelope. She pulled out the yellowed parchment and slowly read, holding her breath.

_My Dear Glinda,_

_I write to you from the Vinkus. I miss you terribly and I am sorry about your engagement to Fiyero…He does love you no matter what he says, but he loves me more. Please, watch over Nessa for me while I make my home here in the West. Apparently, she's gotten a nasty nickname. I wish to visit her soon but I am unable to since my other duties have kept me here at Kiamo Ko, like the Grimmerie. If I get any leads I'll let you know._

_Yeah, like you're the daughter of the Wizard,_ Glinda thought but stopped herself. Grief spread through her veins as her bleeding heart continued to beat. _Nessa_…Glinda had remembered how upset little crippled Nessa had been after Elphaba left. A nasty rumor spread through the richer girls of Shiz University that Glinda had actually been in _love_ with Nessa! _Now that I think about it,_ Glinda said, allowing herself to mope and grovel in self pity. _Maybe they weren't that much of rumors after all…I just needed someone to love me…_

_Anyway, I was hoping we'd meet again. You know, for old time's sake. There's a lot we must talk about since we've left school. Keep flying free and don't give in to the Wizard!_

_Love always,_

_Elphie_

Glinda wiped a tear from her eye and smiled.

"It isn't until we lose someone that we realize how important they actually are," Glinda recited, but the secretary had already left. She shrugged and read the letter over and over again, staring at the word "Elphie." Elphaba had many nicknames; Fabala by her father Frexspar, the Wicked Witch of the West, the _green girl_, but Glinda would always remember her as little misunderstood Elphie, the best friend of Galinda Upland of the Uplands.

_Maybe I'll pay a visit to Nessarose,_ Glinda thought as she tucked the letter into one of her puffy sleeves and rose to her feet. _If I'm going to say good-bye to my past I may as well start with Nessie…_

* * *

"Look, it's Ms. Glinda!"

The Free State of Munchinkinland greeted Glinda warmly as she stepped out of her bubble. However, their faces fell as she told them her wish.

"_Why_, Ms. Good? That foul witch deserves to rot in the ground without thought!"

"The Wicked Witch of the East? Was she your friend too, Ms. Wicked Witches Sympathizer?"

"Kissing up to your old girlfriend, are we now Ms. Glinda? Yeah, we know about yours and hers affairs!"

Glinda frowned as she listened to the criticisms of the little Munchkins. Perhaps it would've been best if she'd stayed in the Palace and wept over Elphaba's letter, but she felt this was right, and by Lurline, or the Unnamed God or whoever, she knew what right felt like.

"Enough," Glinda said gently, holding up a hand to cease the nasty talking. "If you all don't mind I've got something to do. Do I have a brave escort to take me to the deceased Witch?"

When it came to fighting, Munchkinlanders were always ready to charge in. When it came to Nessarose Thropp, they'd hide under bushes or a closet in their home.

"Coming through, make way!"

Glinda glanced up as a graying Munchkin made his way up to Glinda. The Good Witch sighed and smiled, reaching for the old man's arm as he approached her.

"Mr. Frexspar! How lovely it is to see you!"

The elderly man grinned toothlessly at her and adjusted his Unionist hat on his balding head.

"Ms. Glinda, how lovely to see you again," Frex said, shaking her hand weakly. "Come, I'll take you to where my beautiful Nessarose rests. She'll be happy to see you."

Glinda followed the old man. She'd been wondering what had happened to Elphaba and Nessa's father. He must've been in his eighties or even nineties, but Glinda didn't know. She'd never really asked.

"How have you been, Mr. Thropp sir?" Glinda asked gently, hoping the man wouldn't break into an emotional attack for losing _both_ of his daughters practically at the same time with no offspring.

"I'm holding up quite well, Ms. Glinda," the Unionist minister answered. "I'm glad Nessa went in peace. There couldn't have been much suffering if a house collapsed on her, right?"

"Yes," Glinda said, but she knew it was the opposite. Nessarose wouldn't give up her life to something as trivial as a house, but in the end Nessa lost everything too. Her life, her love; Boq (Glinda had just remember his name), her family, her Eminent Thropp title, and most importantly, her enchanted shoes. Glinda wondered where they were now. Had Elphaba managed to take them from Dorothy? Did Dorothy have them in "Kansas?" Had the Wizard managed to nab them before returning to his own world? Glinda didn't know, nor care very much at all.

"Ah darn, I forgot Nessie's flowers," Frex said as they approached the cemetery. "I'll be back in a moment. Nessie has the biggest grave."

Glinda watched as the old man turned around and proceed down the street. Glinda sighed and turned back to look at the bright graveyard. The tombstones were brightly colored with shiny gold text written on them. Flowers and various cards ("I miss you!" and Lurlinemas cards were popular, Glinda noticed) adorned the graves except for one dull grey corner where the largest tombstone lay. Glinda used her long magic wand as a walking stick and glided over to Nessa's grave. It was next to a somewhat better looking but still dark grave with the name "Melena Thropp" inscribed on it.

_Strange how I'm learning all about Elphie's past _after_ she dies,_ Glinda thought sadly as she stared somberly at Melena's grave. She reached into her dress and pulled out the old green elixir Dorothy had taken from Elphaba. She bent down and pushed away a small mound of dirt to bury the green bottle by Melena's gravestone. She rose to her feet and nodded, smiling at her good work. Glinda heard a twig snap behind her and she turned around to greet Frexspar again.

Her face fell when she saw the visitor.

The visitor was looking up at Nessarose's tombstone, her face sad and dark eyes shining with tears. The visitor flinched as the salty tears proceeded down her face and rubbed at them with the sleeve of her black dress. In a swift movement, Glinda handed the visitor a bright pink handkerchief and wiped the burning tears from the visitor's emerald green cheeks.

"Thanks," Elphaba muttered as she took the pink fabric. Glinda blinked, staring at the corporeal ghost or whatever she was. "What? I've been gone two days and you look at me like you did the first time you met me."

"It's just…unbelievable," Glinda said, touching the green cheek to make sure the "ghost" wasn't really a ghost. Elphaba's smooth skin was warm from the clothes and hat she wore in the hot sunny weather. Before the Witch could say anything, the Good wrapped her arms around her friend's neck, making Elphaba spit out random strands of curly blonde hair from her mouth.

"Hey now," the Witch said as Glinda burst into tears. "Stop or you'll make me cry."

"Sorry," the Good Witch remarked, pulling apart and wiping her face with the back of her hand. "I'm just so happy to see you again."

Elphaba held up the old parchment Glinda had received earlier from Elphaba that the green girl had probably taken as Glinda smuggled her with love.

"I sent this thing months ago," Elphaba said surprised, reading the letter to herself. "Oh, my hands are so dirty. Sorry, haven't been thinking of my hygiene recently. My signature's a little smudged but otherwise it's just the same way it's been when I sent it."

"Where _have_ you been?" Glinda asked, absently taking the letter and sticking it back in her sleeve. "And where will you go now?"

Elphaba glanced at the dirty marble sidewalk underneath them, deep in thought. The Good Witch cocked her head to the side, frowning.

"It's ok, Elphie. I understand, you won't tell me."

"No!" the Witch exclaimed, almost outraged. "I mean, no. It's just that I _can't_ tell you…I know these last few years have been shaky for our friendship. Nessa's death, Fiyero's…disappearance…my slippers gone, but everyday I always remember how special our friendship was. But, I want you to continue on, for the both of us, alright? If you ever get lonely, you'll have that letter."

"Elphaba," Glinda said, but she was at lost for words. The green girl nodded.

"I left a little boy behind, Liir. He'll be upset that I left him so suddenly. Watch over him, will you? I haven't been a good mother to him like I should've been."

Glinda blinked in surprise and was about to say something, but footsteps were approaching rapidly behind her.

"Elphie, you should go," the Good Witch said as Frexspar's bald head appeared over the gravestones two rows down. "By the way, I love you-"

Glinda turned back around to look at the Witch again, but she was gone. Not a trace.

_It was just an illusion, _Glinda thought sadly, her mood declined so rapidly that soon the sun became just an annoying orb of light that should be snuffed out by a gust of dreaded wind. _Damn it…I missed her so much that I cast an illusion, a fake Elphaba…I don't even know the limit of my own powers._

"Ms. Glinda, I've returned," Frex said, grinning toothlessly at her, a huge bouquet of chrysanthemums in his hands. "I was just about to have tea at home. Care to join me?"

"No thank you," Glinda said pretending to sound cheerful. She pulled out the bright pink handkerchief from her dress and wiped tears from her eyes. She didn't mind crying in front of Frex; he'd only think she was crying for Nessarose.

"Ms. Good?" Frex said again. Frex, bless his heart, was seriously annoying Glinda. She wanted to be alone, why wouldn't he understand?!

"Now, Mr. Frexspar," the Good started to say, but she spun around and paused. The old man was holding up Elphaba's letter. He frowned, recognizing his oldest daughter's handwriting. Cursed Glinda, she needed to find a matching puffy purse to put her items in.

"It's definitely from Fabala," he stated, handing the parchment back. "Even through her smudged handwriting I can see her name."

Glinda snatched the paper back and read it. Sure enough, the exact spot that the "Illusion" had touched was smudged and dirty. It was possible that Glinda could have done it herself, but she didn't care. It was proof that Elphaba _had_ visited her! The Good Witch's spirit soared and she joined hands with Frex, dancing in front of Nessa's tombstone.

"You know what?" Glinda said, grinning broadly, breathless from the excitement. "I think I'll have some tea after all!"

--


End file.
